"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to amend Amendment 448 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 71.01 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, to ratify, approve, validate, and confirm the application of any budget isolation resolution relating to a bill proposing a local law adopted by the Legislature before November 8, 2016, that conformed to the rules of either body of the Legislature at the time it was adopted."

Jefferson County's new revised sales tax (which replaces one that exclusively went towards paying off the county's $1 billion school construction program) goes to payoff school construction as well as to the county's general fund, transit, the Birmingham Zoo and money for legislatures to spend in their districts.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo's ruled that this law was void because the Alabama Legislature didn't properly enact it.

Here's why the law wasn't enacted correctly, per the judge:

Back in 1984, voters approved another amendment to the Alabama Constitution, Amendment 448. This amendment required state lawmakers to pass the state budget before voting on individual bills.

Lawmakers, at the time, considered passing the state budget the "paramount duty" of the Legislature and said that should be done first.

The Amendment 448, though, allowed lawmakers to make exceptions to this requirement.

The Legislature can suspend the requirement by first voting to pass a budget isolation resolution or BIR. This happens just prior to the discussion and vote on each bill.

A vote of "not less than three fifths (60 percent) of a quorum present" is required for passage of the BIR. That means in the House of Representatives at least 32 members of the 105-member chamber have to pass the BIR.

Lawmakers do this on a regular basis.

A problem arose, though, when the lawsuit involving the 2015 Jefferson County law went to court. The judge found that the House didn't receive the required vote to pass the BIR.

This happened because in the House it is customary for members to abstain from voting on local bills outside of their districts. In the Jefferson County bill in question, the BIR was adopted on a vote of 13 to 3 with 35 abstentions.

Under this ruling, more than 600 local bills passed since 1984 didn't receive the 32 votes to pass the BIR.

Why should I care about Amendment 14?

If the Alabama Supreme Court upholds Graffeo's ruling, not only will the Jefferson County law be invalidated another 630 local passed in a similar fashion could also be ruled unconstitutional.

In a column for AL.com, state Rep. Steve McMillan, R - Baldwin County, said the amendment could affect 37 bills passed for Baldwin County, alone. These acts created laws to support Baldwin economic development, volunteer fire departments, transportation, infrastructure, education, law enforcement, health care, courts, emergency services as well as protecting local historic treasures, such as Blakeley and Fort Morgan.

Jefferson County Commission President James Stephens said failing to pass Amendment 14 puts 56 local bills in Jefferson County at-risk.

"This places everyone else in the county at risk of negatively impacting funding for police and fire services, critical school funding, and retirement and pensions plans," he said.

Counties across the state are also in a similar situation.

Another local law at risk is one passed in 2014 that allowed Chilton County voters to hold a referendum for a 1-cent sales tax to build a hospital. St. Vincent's Chilton Hospital celebrated its grand opening in September.

According to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), Amendment 14 is a retroactive correction to the BIRs passed under House rules at odds with the language of the Alabama Constitution. Passage of Amendment 14 will negate the impact of Judge Graffeo's ruling.

If Amendment 14 fails, hundreds of local laws could be invalidated, officials say. This wouldn't happen automatically, though. It would require a legal challenge.

What does voting "Yes" to Amendment 14 mean?

A "Yes" vote on Amendment 14 means that all local laws passed with a BIR will remain valid, regardless of the ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court, according to PARCA.

What does voting "No" to Amendment 14 mean?

A "No" vote on Amendment 14 means that all local acts passed with a BIR could be invalidated, depending on the ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court or future courts in other cases.